GE Food should be labelled
23 February 2014
GE Food should be labelled
New Zealanders should be able to choose not to eat GE food, the Green Party said today.
Parliament's Regulations Review Committee has tabled a report on GE Free NZ's complaint about the approval of a GE soy breed. The committee didn’t act on the complaint.
“This report leaves consumers who want GE
food safety properly assessed, with no choice but going to
the High Court,” Green Party GE spokesperson Steffan
Browning said today.
"There is no other appeals
process for bad food safety decisions.
“The current process doesn’t serve New Zealanders well, it even side lines the Food Safety Minister, making it all the more important that GE food be assessed independently in New Zealand and also be labelled.
“Leaving decisions like this application for a herbicide drenched GE food up to Food Standards Australia New Zealand means we have effectively given up New Zealand's ability to ensure food safety.
“This shows we will need an independent New Zealand approach to food safety in the Food Bill,” said Mr Browning
ENDS